The family of Katherine Kerwood, a 21-year-old woman from the UK who landed at SFO for a solo tour of Northern California last Tuesday, are searching for her whereabouts after her phone went silent Friday and they learned she never checked into her hostel when she landed.

Twenty-one-year-old British tourist Katherine Esther Gamboa Kerwood landed in San Francisco for a week-long solo sightseeing tour of Northern California last Tuesday with plans to travel to Sacramento upon landing.

As KTVU reports, her family said she called them when she arrived at SFO and said she’d be checking into a hostel in Sacramento that day. During her week-long visit, Kerwood had plans to visit Sacramento, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz.

The next time Kerwood’s family heard from her was Friday when they received a text saying she was still staying at the hostel. Family friend Ali Zaidi told KTVU that immediately following the text, Kerwood’s family asked to speak to her on the phone — as she’s normally very communicative, and there was no further response. They later discovered she never checked into the hostel.

"She's generally very responsive and the fact that she didn't message for hours is the first signal," Zaidi said. "Second, when she messaged they said, 'Hey, let's get on the phone,' and immediately she didn't respond."

Security footage from SFO showed Kerwood meeting a man there who brought her flowers. Her family later discovered the man’s name is “David,” whom they learned Kerwood had previously met in the UK. Kerwood is reportedly scheduled to return to London Wednesday.

According to KTVU, the case is being investigated by both the San Francisco Police Department and authorities in the United Kingdom. Authorities across California have also been alerted via a statewide law enforcement database.

Image: Inside of San Francisco International airport, International Terminal, San Francisco, California, June 7, 2023. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

California Governor Gavin Newsom climbed atop the Golden Gate Bridge to tout the supposedly record-breaking $150 billion tourism dollars spent statewide in 2023, but cynics point out that may just be because of inflation-driven higher prices.

Yes, Governor Gavin Newsom is standing on top of one of the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge in the video below posted Sunday morning. “So I’m up here on the Golden Gate Bridge,” Newsom said from on high, with the scenery of Presidio and Sutro Tower visible behind him. “What a perfect place to announce our record-breaking tourism numbers. Last year, $150 billion of investment, tourists around the globe coming to the great state of California.”

Newsom is technically correct that the tourism agency Visit California had just announced that the state enjoyed a record $150.4 billion in travel spending for 2023, which does indeed break 2019’s pre-pandemic record year of  $144.9 billion. But those are statewide numbers, and KPIX points out that Bay Area tourism spending is still down compared to 2019 levels; with $37.7 billion in tourism spending here last year, whereas 2019’s total was $39 billion.

"We're just waiting for the tourists to come and for the season to really get going," Pier 23 Cafe owner Mac Leibert told KPIX Sunday. "And as you can see on a Sunday afternoon brunch, it's not happening."

KPIX also spoke to bus tour guides and pedicab drivers, who echoed the same sentiment. They sound a common note that the local convention and business conference markets have not rebounded, and the level of tourism from Chinese visitors is still at only about half the volume it was pre-pandemic. Prior to COVID, the Chinese tourist demographic was the No. 1 driver of SF tourism revenue.

And KTVU adds a little more skepticism to Newsom’s numbers, noting that the higher dollar amounts for 2023 may be solely because of inflation. “Things cost more last year than they did four years ago,” that station notes, and adds that the Visit California report “says that adjusting for inflation, travel spending in California is actually down 14% from its peak in 2019.”

There is one undisputed silver lining, though, in that the report also notes that 98% of the tourism- and hospitality-related jobs in the state have returned since the tourism job losses of recent years.

Related: SF Tourism Board Launches New Ad Campaign to Sell City as Still Quirky and Fun [SFist]

Image: @CAgovernor via Twitter

A British tourist walking with his niece near Post Street and Franklin was robbed at knifepoint and then stabbed in the head. His condition is described as "grave."

The 44-year old tourist and his niece, who was visiting from Southern California, were mugged at 8:30pm on Thursday night. According to police, the victims described their assailants as, "a black male 5'10" with a heavy muscular build, hooded sweatshirt. The female was black 5'4" wearing a green and grey wool scarf."

The scarf, which might contain potential DNA evidence, was left behind at the crime scene.

During the robbery, the victim attempted to hang on to his green messenger bag which contained his passport, cash, credit cards, and his cell phone. It was at this point that the male suspect stabbed the victim in the head.

The suspects ran away with the messenger bag, and the victim was taken to SF General Hospital, where he remains with life-threatening injuries. The niece was not (physically) injured in the attack.

Former San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi just happened to be walking on that very same block the next morning, apparently on his way to the gym. Mirkarimi took this opportunity to tell reporters that there should be more beat cops walking the streets of San Francisco. “There needs to be more of a community policing presence throughout San Francisco,” Mirkarimi told the Chronicle. “Tourists find every nook and cranny in the city.”

Anyone with information about this crime can call SFPD at (415) 575-4444 or send a text to TIP411.

Oh, sure, you've seen all the coverage of Jan Gehl's plan to turn Fisherman's Wharf into something tolerable. But wouldn't you like to know more? The excellent SPUR is holding a forum TODAY about the city's plan to alleviate pedestrian-congestion by updating the neighborhood's 1950s-style freeway-inspired urban design: widening sidewalks, installing benches, and adding bike lanes, injunction be damned. After all, be honest: when's the last time you went to Fisherman's Wharf? Probably when you had out-of-town guests.

SPUR's guest will be urban designer Neil Hrushowy, explaining the plan and answering questions. It's at SPUR's office at 312 Sutter St. (at Grant), Fifth Floor, from 12:30 to 1:30 pm. "Feel free to bring a lunch," says SPUR, which is a nice way of saying, "no we're not feeding you; what do we look like, a Waffle House?" It's free for SPUR members and $5 for everyone else.

And!

Don't miss their Thursday forum on high-speed rail! Rail expert Rod Diridon, Sr. is visiting. Says SPUR, "Let him lead you on a world tour of high-speed rail systems and then enjoy a spirited and informed discussion of the practicalities and politics of California's proposed high speed rail." Same time, place, and catering arrangements as before.

-- Oh dead God: "Hearts in San Francisco" returns. Sweet cuddly baby Jesus, help us all. [Curbed SF]

-- Prop A passed. And? [BeyondChron]

-- Siamese Conjoined twins separated. Pft. Please. Wake us up when they sprout eight limbs. [Chron]

-- More Dan Noyes! [The Snitch]

-- BRT and subways in Beijing, China. (Have you ever seen a cleaner subway in your entire life? Sob.) [N-Judah Chronicles]

-- Crab season hurt? Boo! Tourist season maimed? Meh. [SF Examiner]

--Day four of the Hans Reiser Trial. [Local News Blog]

-- Girlfight tonight! Well, not tonight, but some nights ago, one presumably drunk girl stabbed another in the eye her stiletto heel at (ugh) Slide. [The Snitch]

-- "Chili finger woman" may get a more mild sentence. Hey, we thought she had a good idea there, but...alas. [CBS5]

-- No really, did Gavin think about this? [SFBG]

-- Democrat fundraiser cum fugitive Norman Hsu's suicide attempt. [Chron]

-- Ed Jew pleads not guilty, won't resign, will go down fighting. But will go down. [Examiner]

-- Bonds: aaaand he's out. [Examiner]

-- Tourist dies at the Golden Gate Bridge, this time in a jump-free incident. [CBS5]

"Master of the Romantic Thriller -- that's what I'm known for," James tells us. And indeed, it is difficult to think of any cinematic peers to his films, including (tagline: "Can There be Love Without Sex?"), Replica (partial synopsis: "the world of miraculuous [sic], amazing and wonderful biotechnology ... is also filled with uncertainty, danger and dilemma."), Space Tourist (synopsis: "Two space tourists went on a space odyssey where they found adventure, remembrance, happiness, encountered the unexpected & more.") and Love in the Wind (partial synopsis: "Princess Jane is beautiful, glamorous, graceful, kind ... Dave Hawass is a successful Hollywood Oscar winning movie producer. ... will they survive the dark forces that will never allow their love to be?"). Every tale a compelling yarn. Now, about that rocket ship.